The Overlords
by ajfankeith
Summary: The Timelords are invaded by visitors from another dimension
1. Chapter 1

The Overlords

_DISCLAIMER: I am not connected to Doctor Who and its characters, which belong to the BBC._

_-O-_

_This is the second of two stories that I wrote in the late 1990's, the first was 'Empire of the Daleks' (which has already been uploaded to Fanfic). Again, I only kept a printed copy and I am now transcribing it to the computer. As before, this story is 'old school' Doctor Who: before the more 'modern' series (starting in 2005) was even contemplated. It features the same Doctor's assistants that I created for 'Empire of the Daleks'._

_-O-_

Chapter 1 – Contact

All that could be seen of the Doctor were his legs as he tinkered about under the console in the Tardis' control room. Jade looked on, impatiently fidgeting with a small metal box which the Doctor had given her to hold.

"How much longer are you going to be?" she asked.

"I can't rush these things, Jade," replied the Doctor's muffled voice, "hand me back that isotonic modulator would you? There's a good girl!"

Jade hated to be patronised and she scowled as she put the small box into the Doctor's hand.

"And there's no need to pull a face!" scolded the Doctor.

Jade looked down, but could not make eye contact; as the top half of the Doctor's body was still under the console.

"How do you know what my face looks like, down there?" Jade enquired.

"My dear Jade, I know you well enough to know that when I make a remark like that, your nose wrinkles up as if you had encountered a bad smell!"

A laugh from behind her made Jade look round.

"He's got the measure of you, hasn't he?" Orleo chuckled.

Jade looked into Orleo's clear blue eyes; which sparkled mischievously.

"That's the trouble with you men," she said, indignantly, "You always have to stick together!"

The Doctor spoke again, "I think we've stayed too long holidaying on Gallifrey! Sounds as if you two need to be involved in a new adventure!"

"As long as we don't meet another army of Daleks!" replied Jade.

Suddenly, a bleeping noise from the control panel interrupted their conversation. The Doctor slid out from under the console and scrambled to his feet. He looked over the mass of knobs and dials and settled on a switch near the centre of the panel. He threw the switch and the noise ceased, though an associated light continued to flash.

"I wonder how long that signal has been coming through," said the Doctor.

"What do you mean Doctor?" asked Orleo, "It has only just started!"

"That's because I have only just reconnected the modulator; we wouldn't have known anything about the signal until I made the circuit operational again!"

"Where is it coming from, anyway?" queried Jade.

The Doctor fiddled with various controls for a few moments until he seemed satisfied that he had found the answer, "That's odd! According to this, the signal is emanating from inside the planet! Come on; let's find out what's happening!"

The Doctor hurried off through the open doors of the Tardis and his companions followed close behind. They walked towards the nearby High Council chamber and, as they entered, they were greeted by a Timelord dressed in a long white robe. The bleeping noise still echoed in the background.

"Doctor!" exclaimed the man, "What do you make of the signal? It appears to be coming from the Tomb of Rassilon!"

"Are you sure, Savin?" queried the Doctor, "That tomb has been dormant for aeons! How could anyone be emitting a signal from there?"

"I'm just as baffled as you. Could someone have broken in, do you think?"

"No, it's impossible! The place is like a fortress and, anyway, the Eye of Harmony would have been alerted and sounded the alarm long before now!"

"I wish I understood what you are talking about," Jade looked perplexed, "who was Rassilon and what is the Eye of Harmony?"

"Oh Jade!" the Doctor said, impatiently, "Don't you remember any of the history that I have tried to teach you while you've been on Gallifrey? If you recall, Rassilon was the first of the Timelords and the Eye of Harmony is our power source."

"Oh yes, I remember now!" Jade said, with a cheeky grin.

Suddenly, the bleeping noise in the background stopped. The Doctor looked at Savin with a surprised expression.

"Well," said Savin, "whoever was sending that signal has given up. I wonder if it could have been an automatic circuit that activated itself. Maybe it has rectified itself now."

"I doubt whether an automatic device would have come to life after all this time," suggested the Doctor, "I think something more mysterious is taking place and I intend to find out what it is!"

Jade looked at Orleo and rolled her eyes skywards. Orleo understood the expression perfectly and responded with a wry smile.

The Doctor did not need to use too much persuasion to get his two companions to accompany him to the Tomb of Rassilon, even though it was situated in the inhospitable landscape of Gallifrey. Since the Timelords had moved into their cities, centuries earlier, they had no need to go outside into the barren wastelands which covered most of the planet.

The Doctor's Tardis materialised near a steep hill. It was capped by an ancient stone structure which looked like a small castle. With the Doctor leading the way, they climbed towards the mysterious monument. Soon, they had reached the wall of the building which appeared to have no doors or windows.

"How do we get inside?" queried Orleo.

"Simple!" exclaimed the Doctor, never one to be ruffled by such a small problem, "We use these!"

Jade and Orleo looked down at the objects that the Doctor had produced from his pockets; they looked like plain, silver bracelets.

"All you do," continued the Doctor, "is put these on your wrists and I will activate them. We will dematerialise momentarily and then re-materialise inside the tomb. These are a sort of time machine like the Tardis, but much more compact. Mind you, they don't have the same range or power of the bigger versions."

They all slipped the bracelets onto their wrists. The Doctor's one had a row of buttons which were missing from Jade's and Orleo's. He pushed one of the buttons and they vanished from the spot where they had been standing. Moments later, they were inside the building.

"Hey, that's the way to travel!" quipped Orleo, "Why couldn't we have used them to save us the climb up here!"

"Their range isn't long enough," explained the Doctor, "They only work over a few metres! One day, I'm sure; the Timelords will be able to increase their power and range. Who knows; they could make the traditional Tardis redundant!"

They were in a dimly lit hall. Way above them, a window in the high roof was letting in the only light. They stood for a few seconds, letting their eyes become accustomed to the gloom. The place had a musty smell; as could be expected of an old building that had been deserted for a very long time.

"This place gives me the creeps!" Jade whispered, almost as if to speak loudly would have resulted in someone chastising her for making a noise.

"It must have been like this for years," Orleo also spoke in hushed tones.

"Centuries more like!" answered the Doctor, "I don't think anyone has ever come in here since Rassilon was entombed!"

Suddenly, a ghostly figure appeared at the end of the hall, it had the shape of an old man with a long, white beard, "I knew you would come!" said a voice, though the face of the semi-transparent figure remained still, "The time has come to undo the damage that has been done!"

"Who are you?" asked the Doctor.

"My name is of no importance," answered the voice, "I am one of a number of beings that you would call the Overlords."

"The Overlords!" the Doctor repeated the name, "But you only exist in the myths and superstitions of the Timelords!"

"I can understand your scepticism," continued the voice, "I would feel the same if confronted by something that I considered to be just an object from a fable. But, I can assure you, although we have no solid, physical presence, the Overlords do exist! We are real and we have been awakened by the threat of a catastrophe; it will be a menace to the very fabric of space and time!"

"What's the problem?" asked Jade, still looking wide-eyed at the apparition, "What catastrophe?"

"Soon, malevolent time travellers will invade Gallifrey. If they are not stopped, the time-track of this universe will be breached and it will cease to exist! You must stop them from doing this!"

"But how?" asked the Doctor, "We don't know who these people are, or how they intend to carry out their threat."

"Fear not! The Overlords will provide you with all the information that you will require to repel the invaders. Now, you must return quickly to the Timelords to warn them and seek their help."

The image faded away until it disappeared completely. The three companions all looked at the spot for several moments, almost as if each of them had just experienced a strange dream.

Orleo was first to speak, "Well, what do we do now?"

The Doctor approached the place where they had seen the ghostly figure, extending his arms and feeling the walls.

"What are you doing, Doctor?" Jade enquired.

"I'm just seeing if I can feel any vibrations or anything. Our friend must have some way of manifesting himself; unless it's done by means of holographic projection. Well, come on you two, we'd better get back!"

...next chapter: Faith of the Timelords


	2. Chapter 2

The Overlords

_DISCLAIMER: I am not connected to Doctor Who and its characters, which belong to the BBC._

_-O-_

Chapter 2 – Faith of the Timelords

The members of the High Council sat; listening intently to the Doctor's description of events in the Tomb of Rassilon. Those with strong religious beliefs were visibly shocked by the strange appearance of a figure claiming to be an Overlord, whilst others more inclined towards scientific studies were fascinated by the story. After delivering his speech, the Doctor, along with Jade and Orleo, left the chamber to allow the High Council to deliberate on the situation in private.

"Doctor," Orleo looked puzzled, "who are these Overlords, exactly?"

"Ah! The Overlords! Well, to put it in the simplest terms, they are the creators of all living things."

"Like Gods, you mean?" Jade chipped in.

"Yes, well, the closest thing we have to a God. That's why some of the more religious of the Timelords looked so amazed by the story! In many civilisations, it would be like coming face to face with your maker! We all have certain beliefs, but our 'Gods' usually remain concealed!"

"Do YOU think that whatever we saw was really a God?" asked Orleo.

"Well, I like to keep an open mind in most situations, but, let's say I've yet to be convinced!"

Just then, Savin entered the room after leaving the chamber of the High Council. He looked at the Doctor and then at Jade and Orleo, "All three of you saw this vision?"

The Doctor looked him in the eye, "Yes, just as we told the council; and it's the truth."

"Then, as it is written; you are the chosen ones! The ancient texts speak of three travellers, one a Timelord and, when the time is right, the Overlords will appear to them!"

Savin fell on his knees before the three of them! "Oh, Lord of the Faith! I am your humble servant! What is your command?"

"Wait just a moment!" The Doctor looked shocked, "I don't know what sort of ideas have got into your head, Savin, but I'm no different to before; none of us are! Get up, man!"

Savin rose to his feet just as Olin, a member of the High Council, walked in, "What's going on? Savin? What have you been saying?"

"The Doctor and his friends are the chosen ones, can't you see?" answered Savin, with a look of awe.

"Leave us!" commanded Olin, impatiently, "We have things to discuss!"

After Savin left the room, Olin gestured to the Doctor and his companions to sit down.

"You must excuse Savin," Olin began, "I happen to know that he takes his faith very seriously, but I think that he has allowed his beliefs to cloud his judgement! Now, the High Council has come to a decision. If you are agreeable, Doctor, we'd like to get to the bottom of this matter, once and for all."

"Of course," replied the Doctor, "what would you like me to do?"

"We want to find out whether these beings are really Overlords; as they claim. As you've already seen; those who are deeply religious are heralding a new age of the Timelords before we've seen any evidence! I, like you, am a scientist; I need facts before reaching a conclusion."

Suddenly, a high-pitched noise filled the air and interrupted them and they hurried out towards the High Council chamber. As they entered, the place was alive with excited Timelords. The animated babble of the assembled people stopped immediately as a voice replaced the shrill sound of the signal, "This is the voice of the Overlords! I must warn you, my children, you must prepare for the invasion of the enemy! Otherwise, it will be the end of life as you know it! Now, listen carefully, you must seek the answers you need in the Matrix, ask for information about the Eye of Destiny."

Without another word, the voice stopped and there was a deathly hush.

"The Eye of Destiny?" the Doctor looked perplexed, "Surely he meant the Eye of Harmony. Why would we need to seek the help of the Matrix about that?"

"The Eye of Destiny!" said Savin, as if he had found the answer to a riddle, "Yes, of course; that's the reason why the Overlords have come!"

"What are you talking about, Savin?" asked the Doctor.

"The time of the Eye of Destiny has come," Savin had a slightly crazed look about him, "It is written that the Overlords will return when the Eye has been opened!"

"Let's go and consult the Matrix," said Olin, dismissively, "I've heard enough about Overlords and Eyes of Destiny to last me a lifetime!"

Olin lead the Doctor and his two companions to the Matrix. Once there, he put the helmet on to access the giant databank. After a few minutes, he removed the headgear and looked at his comrades.

"Have you managed to find any information?" asked the Doctor.

"Yes," replied Olin, "Savin is right about one thing, the Eye of Destiny is mentioned in the ancient teachings of Gallifrey, but those are just fables and legends. Most Timelords, at least, those with a high scientific intellect, treat such stories as fiction."

"Well," the Doctor fiddled with his lapel, "Even fiction can have a basis in fact. So, where is this Eye supposed to be found?"

"Beneath the Temple of Kings; beyond the Tomb of Rassilon."

"But," the Doctor looked astonished, "that Temple pre-dates the tomb itself, surely there can't be anything there?"

"But, Doctor," Jade interrupted, "If the Eye is an ancient thing, then surely it would be found in an ancient place!"

"I suppose you could have a point there, Jade! Well, we won't find anything standing here; we'd better start searching!"

Savin had been eavesdropping outside the door. On hearing the location of the Eye of Destiny, he quietly crept away to tell his friends in the Holy Order.

Olin, with two other Timelords, took the Doctor and his companions to a Tardis so that they could go to the Temple of Kings. It took only seconds to re-materialise near the Temple and all six travellers disembarked. The Temple was a dark and forbidding place, made of ancient stone and set in the barren wastelands of Gallifrey. They walked towards the Temple cautiously, all the time looking around them.

"Why couldn't we materialise inside the temple?" asked Jade.

"It's difficult to get an exact fix on the co-ordinates," replied the Doctor, "and we don't want to risk landing inside a block of stone! These walls are very thick and we don't know what's inside until we get in there!"

They approached a huge metal door set into an arched entrance to the Temple. The Doctor reached the door first and used his sonic screwdriver to unlock it. He pushed against the great weight of the thing but it would not budge.

"Here, Doctor," said Orleo, "Let me give you a hand!"

All six of them pitched in and, after much effort on their part, they managed to push the door open enough to allow them to squeeze past into the Temple. The interior was very dark but, fortunately, they had taken the precaution of bringing torches with them. The walls were decorated with strange inscriptions, carvings and pictures.

"These must have been created by the ancestors of the Timelords!" said the Doctor, "I imagine we're the first people to set eyes on them for centuries!"

Suddenly, a voice from the darkness made them all turn to face in its direction.

"No, Doctor!" Savin's tones were unmistakable, "You are not the first; we are!"

The six of them directed their torches towards Savin's voice and illuminated both him and two of his companions from the Holy Order.

"Savin!" cried Olin, in surprise, "How did you get here?"

"The same way as you! We were braver though, we materialised our Tardis inside the Temple. We knew that you'd come here to desecrate this place. I'm sorry, but we cannot allow you to do this; you must turn back now!"

"Don't be ridiculous, man!" countered the Doctor, "You know that we need to get to the bottom of this situation. Why are you behaving like this?"

"There are powers that we do not understand...that we are not meant to understand. We thought that you were the chosen one, but your actions have convinced us that you are not a servant of the Overlords. If you begin meddling with mysterious forces, you will unleash a great evil upon our people!"

"This is all superstitious mumbo-jumbo," snorted the Doctor, "you are men of science! These fables and legends have no place in our society."

"Men of science we may be," Savin answered, "But we still have our beliefs! If you persist in trying to go deeper into the Temple, then we will do everything we can to stop you!"

The Doctor turned to his companions, "It seems that Savin is deadly serious in his intentions; I recommend that we play along for the time being. Maybe we can think of another way to get around this."

Before anyone could answer, a bright light suddenly illuminated the interior of the Temple and the apparition that the Doctor had first seen in the Tomb of Rassilon appeared at the far end of the great hall. Savin and the members of the Holy Order fell on their knees.

The ghostly figure spoke without moving his lips, "So, you have come in search of the Eye of Destiny! Listen well, my children, you must go down beneath this place; into the catacombs, to seek the answers to your questions. There, you will be given the secrets of the Overlords."

The apparition vanished again, leaving the members of the Holy Order speechless.

"Well," remarked the Doctor, "It looks like we will need to go exploring underground; coming?" He looked at his friends.

"I'm game!" answered Orleo, anxious for some action, but as he went to move, Savin jumped up and blocked his way.

"Let us pass!" Orleo shouted angrily.

"No!" replied Savin, "You must not enter the catacombs of the Kings, it is sacrilege; you will die an agonising death; it is written!"

"But," the Doctor reasoned, "if the Overlords have decreed it, surely you would be disobeying their orders if you do not carry out their wishes?"

"I know this must sound strange to you, Doctor," Savin continued, "but I know now that; whatever that creature was, it wasn't an Overlord! The one belief which is held sacred above all others is that a Timelord must never enter the catacombs of the Kings! A genuine Overlord would never issue an order to do this; we have been the victims of an elaborate hoax!"

"Well, we've discovered one thing today," said the Doctor, thoughtfully, "no matter how strong a Timelord's faith is; we cannot be fooled by false Gods!"

"I'm sorry that we have caused you so much trouble," said Savin, "now that we know that we are not dealing with the Overlords, we can concentrate on using science once again to overcome our problems!"

"Now that's what I like to hear!" replied the Doctor, with relief in his voice.

...next chapter: The Dangerous Mirror


	3. Chapter 3

The Overlords

_DISCLAIMER: I am not connected to Doctor Who and its characters, which belong to the BBC._

_-O-_

Chapter 3 – The Dangerous Mirror

The old man put his hands up to his face and cupped them under his chin. He hooked his thumbs underneath his chin and pulled off the mask he was wearing, along with the attached wig of long, white hair. He actually looked quite a young man, with dark, curly hair and thin features. His companion, another young-looking man with short, wavy brown hair, spoke to him, "So, Torrin, they have not fallen for our little trap!"

"No, Sequar, they are obviously a lot more intelligent than we had anticipated. How are we going to get them to activate the gateway now? Unless we can entice them into the catacombs; they will not trip the trigger which will allow us to cross over into their universe."

"How I curse our forefathers! Why did they have to put the gateway in a location where the inhabitants of that time zone will not go?"

"They had to put it in a spot that was well hidden and wouldn't be disturbed. That's why the legend has grown up around it; so that it has become a forbidden place!"

"Maybe we shouldn't have tried to convince them that we were the Overlords."

"I had no idea that these scientific men would still be so superstitious!" Torrin grimaced as he spoke, "Anyway, we will have to try our contingency plan now! If the Holy Order will not allow anyone into the catacombs, we will have to target someone who may have less qualms about it...someone really desperate!"

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In a lonely, desolate spot on Gallifrey, a pathetic, raggedy figure shuffled along towards a simple dwelling which resembled a stone-built igloo. Opening the door, the figure entered and sat on a rickety wooden chair by a table which was covered with empty cloth sacks. He dropped the hood on his threadbare coat to reveal a young but weather-beaten face and a shock of untidy, black hair. Suddenly, a bright light illuminated the bleak room and a ghostly figure appeared. The man jumped up in shock!

"Do not be alarmed!" the apparition said, "I have come to help you!"

"Help me?" queried the scruffy man, "The only way you can help me is to fill my sacks with food! But, it has not rained for six months and my crops are ruined; how can you help me?"

"What is your name?"

"Raydn," the man answered.

"Well, Raydn, I can guide you to a place where all your dreams can come true! Do you know the Temple of the Kings?"

"Yes, of course I do!"

"You must go there and enter the catacombs beneath the Temple; there you will find riches beyond your wildest dreams! You could live like a Timelord! You need never go hungry again!"

Raydn looked terrified, "But, if the Timelords catch me invading the Temple, I will be locked away forever! No-one is allowed to enter their sacred place!"

"Do not fear! We will be watching over you! We will protect you from harm!"

"Who are you?" Raydn asked.

"That is not important! Are you going to the Temple?"

Raydn wore a worried frown, "I don't know! It sounds too risky to me!"

"Raydn, this is your only chance! You are the chosen Shobogan! If you do not do it, I'm sure many other Shobogans would like to take your place!"

"Alright!" Raydn made up his mind, "I've had enough of this miserable existence! I'll take the chance to change my life for good!"

"Then make haste! Go to the Temple before someone else learns of the treasures that await!"

With that, the apparition was gone.

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Back inside the Timelords' city, the Doctor was studying a computer screen as Jade entered the room.

"What are you looking at there?" she asked.

"I'm trying to work out where those signals from the 'Overlords' originate."

"Where's Orleo?"

"He's gone with Olin to the Matrix...please, Jade, I'm trying to concentrate on these calculations!"

"Sorry!" Jade had the look of a scorned child. She paced around the room, picking up various objects and putting them down again. Suddenly, the Doctor shouted, making her jump with surprise.

"That's it! Of course!" the Doctor thumped the desk triumphantly, "The signal is coming from a parallel universe!"

"Doctor," Jade looked puzzled,"I don't have a clue what you're talking about!"

"It's quite simple really, Jade. The projections that we have been seeing are not coming from our own universe; they are being transmitted from a parallel one running alongside our own! That's why the people on the other side, whoever they are, don't appear in physical form! To do that, they would need to find a gateway to cross over. But, why have they been posing as Overlords?"

"I think we know the answer to that one," Olin said, as he entered the room with Orleo, "The Matrix has come up with an interesting hypothesis. These people on the 'other side' want to cross over for some reason and the gateway appears to be in the Temple. They obviously need us to activate this gateway; so they have tried to trick us into thinking that they are Overlords; so that we would play along."

"Well, we'd better make sure that no-one opens the gate!" said Orleo.

"Yes, very well put!" answered the Doctor, "come on, we've got work to do!"

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On arrival back at the Temple of Kings, the Doctor, Jade, Orleo and Olin entered the dark interior once again with their torches on full power. They crept towards the entrance to the catacombs with a certain amount of trepidation; even a 'non-believer' could feel the reverence of such a place. An old, arched portal led to a flight of steps, descending to the ancient burial site below. They crept through the darkness slowly, their torches providing the only source of illumination.

Suddenly, the Doctor stopped dead.

"What is it, Doctor?" asked Orleo, almost bumping into the back of him.

"I saw a movement...over there!"

Sure enough, as they looked in the direction of the Doctor's torch beam, they could see a pair of dirty boots sticking out from behind a burial crypt.

"Come out!" commanded the Doctor, "We know you're there!"

The shabby figure of Raydn emerged from the less than perfect hiding place, "Please, don't hurt me!" pleaded a terrified Raydn, "I'll do whatever you say, I didn't mean to invade the catacombs; the voices made me do it!"

"Voices?" queried the Doctor.

"Yes, an apparition came and spoke to me; it told me that I would find treasure if I came here; I was desperate!"

"So, our friends have been up to their little games again, have they? I'm sorry, but there is no treasure here; you've been tricked!"

Raydn peered into the light from the Doctor's torch, his eyes still showed his fear at being caught, "You would say that; just to stop me from finding it! Well, I'm not giving up yet, you'll have to catch me first!"

So saying, Raydn sprinted off further into the darkness of the catacombs. However, before he had run more than a few strides, he hit a wall of translucent light which suddenly appeared from nowhere. He stopped dead; trapped by the semi-transparent glow.

"My word!" shouted the Doctor in surprise, "It appears our friend has found the gateway!"

"Help!" cried Raydn in panic, "I can't move!"

The Doctor and his companions approached Raydn, getting as close as they dared to the strange, shimmering sheet of light. As they looked on, two figures appeared from the other side of the sheet. One produced a small, hand-held weapon; and fired at Raydn; who crumpled to the floor at the Doctor's feet.

The Doctor and his companions helped Raydn to stand up again. He looked dazed but otherwise unharmed by his experience. Then, a voice drew their attention away from Raydn's plight.

"Well done, my friends; you have opened the gateway!" Torrin had a broad smirk on his face, as did his companion, Sequar. They had both managed to cross from the parallel dimension.

...next chapter: Legends Revealed


	4. Chapter 4

The Overlords

_DISCLAIMER: I am not connected to Doctor Who and its characters, which belong to the BBC._

_-O-_

Chapter 4 – Legends Revealed

As the Doctor's party looked on, the curtain of light faded away and Torrin and Sequar walked towards them.

"Well," the Doctor spoke to the two strangers, "you've managed to cross over into our universe, but for what purpose, eh?"

"You realise where we have come from?" Torrin asked.

"Yes," replied the Doctor, "I calculated that you needed to activate this gateway to cross over; but why? What can you gain by doing this?"

Sequar then interjected, "You must not question our motives...take us to the Eye of Harmony!"

The Doctor moved towards Sequar, but was stopped by a force field which seemed to protect the two visitors.

"As you can see," said Torrin, "you cannot touch us. We are surrounded by an invisible shield! Although we are from a parallel universe, we are from a future time zone to yours and have developed a technology which is incomprehensible to you at present. Now, take us to the Eye of Harmony!"

Seeing no alternative course of action, the Doctor and his friends complied with the visitors' request and led them to the Eye. Once there, Torrin produced a strange gadget, much like the Doctor's sonic screwdriver; and pointed it at the Eye. There was a weird whining sound and a stream of particles began to escape from the Eye and disappeared into the small device.

"What are you doing?" cried the Doctor in alarm.

"We are taking some matter from the Eye to reconstruct the one in our own universe," answered Sequar, "we need this because our one was damaged in a freak accident on the mirror Gallifrey!"

"But," the Doctor replied, "if you disrupt the Eye of Harmony it will cause untold damage to our universe; it may even mean the end of our existence!"

"That is not our problem," Torrin continued to draw the power into the device, "We are only interested in our own universe!"

"Charming!" retorted Jade, "There's gratitude for you!"

Orleo lunged towards Torrin but was immediately repelled by the force field and fell back onto the floor. Jade rushed to his aid, but he scrambled to his feet and assured her that he could manage and was uninjured.

"You won't get away with this!" the Doctor spoke angrily to the two invaders, "We'll stop you!"

So saying, he rushed back to the Tardis, hotly pursued by Jade and Orleo.

"What are you planning to do?" asked Orleo, back inside the ship.

"To be honest, I don't know what to do!" replied the Doctor, "But there must be a way of preventing those two from carrying out their threat!"

"But, we can't get near them!" Jade said, "How can we break through their force field when it hasn't been invented yet?"

"That's it!" cried the Doctor, "Well done, Jade!"

"Thanks, but what did I do?" Jade was perplexed.

"You've hit the nail on the head!" the Doctor looked excited, "We can't switch off their force field; because we don't know how it works; as it belongs to the future. All we have to do is go into the future, find out how it works and then find a way to combat it!"

The Doctor set the controls on the Tardis' console and threw the switch to send them into a future time. The ship dematerialised but, after a few moments, the Doctor began to fiddle anxiously with the controls.

Spotting his concern, Jade spoke, "What's the matter, Doctor?"

"I can't re-materialise the Tardis...something's wrong! I can't seem to get a fix on the Gallifrey of a later time-zone...oh no! It can't be!"

"What's the problem?" queried Orleo.

"I don't believe it's possible," answered the Doctor, "but according to my instruments, the future doesn't exist!"

Jade and Orleo stared wide-eyed as the Doctor made his announcement.

"Those two visitors from a parallel universe must have disrupted the time-line when they interfered with the Eye of Harmony; causing the future to vanish! Gallifrey is no longer there!" the Doctor looked very upset.

"Can't we just set the controls and go back?" asked Orleo.

"I'm afraid we can't, dear boy!" answered the Doctor, with exasperation in his voice, "You see, because the time-line has been broken, it means Gallifrey never existed!"

"So, where are we now?" asked a worried Jade.

"We're in limbo, I'm afraid...because the Tardis' points of reference have disappeared, I can't set the controls to go anywhere!"

"What are we going to do?" asked Orleo.

"I'll try to think of something," the Doctor scratched his head, "there must be a way out of this. Let's see if there's anything on the screen, shall we?"

They all looked at the monitor screen in the hope of finding a solution to their predicament, but there was nothing to see; except blackness. Then, suddenly, a bright light appeared and a ghostly face formed out of the brightness. It was an old man's face, kindly-looking, with an air of wisdom and great knowledge. As the three startled friends looked on, the face drifted towards them through the screen until it hovered in the room in front of them. Then, the lips moved and a voice spoke softly.

"Do not be alarmed! I have come to set things right! There has been a gross misuse of the space-time continuum and I shall correct it and set you back on course."

"Who are you?" asked the Doctor.

"My name is Penvar, one of the founders of the Ring of Infinity! I have been watching your progress in trying to stop Sequar and Torrin from interfering with the Eye of Harmony. They are from the Circle of Parinox, on the 'mirror' Gallifrey in another dimension. Their own Eye of Harmony was damaged and they were trying to take the power from the one on your Gallifrey; which is against all the rules of the space-time continuum. The founders will not allow this to happen. You will be returned to your own time-line in recognition of your efforts to protect the space-time continuum."

"Hold on a minute," the Doctor interjected, "you're going too fast! Where do you fit into all this; and what is the Ring of Infinity?"

"The ring is the fabric which holds the time-line together, though the Eyes of Harmony. I and my fellow Guardians are the creators and protectors of the ring. We live on only in spirit and are the forefathers of the Timelords!"

"The Overlords?" muttered Jade.

"Yes, our descendants call us that!" answered Penvar, "But, as I said, we are really only manifestations of the forefathers. We no longer have any physical form, but we do have the power to communicate; as I am doing now; and to intervene when the time-line is threatened. Our collective spirit is housed deep within the 'mirror' Gallifreys, where even the likes of Sequar and Torrin cannot hope to find us! In fact, they are the first ones to have been successful in finding a gateway and crossing over into a parallel universe; although they needed a subterfuge to manage it!"

"Well," said the Doctor, "That explains the 'Overlord' myth! I suppose, in a way, you are 'Gods'!"

"Not so much 'Gods' as 'Guardians' really," replied Penvar, "and we do have the power to put things right when the Circle of Parinox interferes with the space-time continuum. Anyway, back you go to your own dimension and time-line; and good luck!"

In a flash of blinding light, the Doctor and his friends suddenly found themselves back in the Timelords city on Gallifrey; they all looked at each other in amazement.

"My word," said the Doctor, "I wish I could do that trick! Let's see what's happening with the Eye of Harmony."

The three companions left their Tardis and made their way back to the Eye and met up with Olin, who was staring at the Eye with a startled expression. On seeing the Doctor, he spoke, "What happened? One minute, those two were draining energy from the Eye; and the next...they just disappeared!"

"Oh, I shouldn't worry!" exclaimed the Doctor, with a wry smile to his friends, "Just put it down to the power of the Overlords!"

THE END


End file.
